Micromirror systems play an increasing role in image projectors for portable applications such as Smartphones, cameras, PDAs or tablet PCs. Such image projectors are frequently based on raster scanning methods, in which adjustable micromirrors scan a laser beam across a predefined raster matrix.
Apart from the imaging laser beams, interactive applications additionally require a further laser beam, which is dispersed or reflected at input devices or body parts of a user in the environment of the image projector, and whose reflective component enables the recording of movements in the environment of the image projector. The printed publications US 2010/0201895 A1, US 2011/0181553 A1, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,525,538 B2 describe image projection systems featuring an interactivity functionality.
The publication WO 2009/031094 A1 describes a projection device having at least one laser beam source and a scanning device for scanning an external projection region within a projection cone using a laser beam source, the device including a detection device for detecting the presence of an eye of a living being in the projection cone, and a control device for reducing the projection intensity of the laser beam if an eye of a living being is detected, a limited region around the eye position being reduced in the projection intensity and an initial projection intensity outside the restricted region in the projection cone being maintained. The device includes three single laser beam sources for the colors red, green and blue in each case. For the detection, the device includes an infrared beam source, an infrared sensor and a suitable beam splitter to receive the reflected IR beams.
The publication US 2009/128717 A1 describes an image projection apparatus for displaying images on a projection surface by using laser beams of the three colors green, blue, red on a projection surface. The apparatus includes a laser device having a laser beam of one wavelength and a second laser device having two emitting laser beams of two laser waves having two of the three colors. The apparatus includes a synthesizing element that combines an optical path of the three laser beams, and a scanning device which transmits the combined laser beams, pixel by pixel, onto the projection surface in order to create an image.
There is demand for laser modules for image projectors and for methods for generating images using an image projector which are implementable in a cost-effective, efficient and space-saving manner and enable an interactivity functionality of the image projector.